French Lake
Hennepin County, MinnesotaView mapDirections
Minnesota PCA publishes the water-quality measurements for French Lake. Here is what has been measured.
- Eutrophic
- 38 ft max depth
- Public access
- Limited data
French Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50.2 µg/L.
French Lake is a productive, nutrient-rich eutrophic lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota with an estimated average depth of about 38 feet. Limited fish-species data available. Public access is available with 1 public boat landing. Compared to the 80 other monitored lakes in Hennepin County, French Lake ranks #46 for water quality.
Source: EPA Water Quality Portal sampling records, Minnesota DNR LakeFinder, last sampled 2024-10-01. Methodology: how these readings are compared.
What French Lake is good for
From access and monitoring records, not editorial picks.
- Boat launch1 documented ramp
Swimming conditions
Readings onlyLimited data
Based on clarity and algae readings from past sampling — there is no live water temperature and a current cyanobacteria reading for this lake. Check your state or county health department before you swim.
Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
Whether French Lake is safe to swim in today is a call for the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency and the Minnesota DNR and the county health department, who post current advisories. LakeQuality does not issue swimming clearances.
Water quality measurements for French Lake
These are the measurements Minnesota PCA publishes for French Lake, shown as reported. The condition class beside each reading is the EPA National Lakes Assessment class for this lake’s ecoregion.
Very murky, less than 3 ft of visibility. Phosphorus 50.2 µg/L. TSI 61.
| Measure | Reading | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|
| Water clarity (Secchi depth) | 3ft | Measured, not scored How deep a black-and-white disk stays visible from the surface. Higher is clearer. |
| Total phosphorus | 50.2µg/L | Poor GoodFairPoor |
| Chlorophyll-a (algae) | No reading The green pigment in algae — a direct measure of how much algae is in the water. | |
| Trophic state (TSI)Carlson's 0–100 index of how much algae a lake can support, from clarity, phosphorus and chlorophyll-a. | 61 | Eutrophic OligotrophicMesotrophicEutrophicHypereutrophic |
High nutrients, frequent algae, reduced clarity
Ask about French Lake
Answers come straight from the public measurements and survey records on this page.
Water Temperature
French Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October. Summer average is about 71°F. Usually warmest in Jul (about 74°F) and coldest in Apr (about 44°F). These are typical values by month — not a live reading.
Column height runs from this lake’s coldest month (44°F) to its warmest (74°F).
Typical surface water temperature by month, from 30 field readings (2010–2024) via the EPA Water Quality Portal. See the full French Lake water temperature breakdown →
Lake Details
Max depth
~38 ft est.
Public access
Yes
Listed by Minnesota PCA
Depth marked “est.” is a modeled maximum from GLOBathy (Khazaei et al. 2022, CC0), not a measured survey. Minnesota has not published bathymetry for French Lake.
Lake Size & Watershed
Watershed (drainage) area
2 sq mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Surface area
185 acres
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Shoreline
2.3 mi
HydroLAKES / HydroSHEDS
Elevation
883 ft
Size, shoreline, and watershed area from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS). Mean depth here is modelled, not surveyed — HydroLAKES v1.0 estimates lake depth from surrounding terrain rather than from soundings. Treat it as an approximation, and prefer a state bathymetric survey where one exists.
Recreation & Access
- French LakePublic
Named access points in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory, within about 3 miles. More lakes with boat ramps
Stays via Stay22
Stays near French Lake
Compare lakeside cabins, hotels, and vacation rentals near French Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota — live availability and prices for your trip. Switch the map to Satellite to see the lake and how close each stay is to the water. The water-quality readings cover nutrients and algae, not lodging. Cabins and rentals around French Lake are listed below.
Top-rated places to stay near French Lake
Prices for Oct 9–11, 4 adults. Change dates on the map below.
Availability and prices from Stay22 partners (Booking.com, Vrbo, Expedia). We may earn a commission from bookings, at no extra cost to you.
Planning a whole trip? See where to stay at Minnesota’s top lakes →
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Fishing French Lake
Regulated Pollution Sources Nearby
1 EPA-permitted facility operate within about 5 miles of French Lake under Clean Water Act (NPDES) discharge permits.
- Dayton Mobile Home ParkOsseo · 1 mi away · NPDES MN0041432
Facilities permitted to discharge under the Clean Water Act within ~5 miles; proximity does not by itself mean a facility affects this lake. Source: EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES), as of 2026-07.
Nearby Lakes in Hennepin County
Frequently asked questions about French Lake
Where is French Lake?
- French Lake is a lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota. Its water-quality measurements are published by Minnesota PCA and shown on this page as reported.
What is the water quality of French Lake?
- French Lake in Hennepin County, Minnesota has water-quality measurements published by Minnesota PCA, shown here as reported. Water clarity: 3 ft visibility. Phosphorus: 50.2 µg/L.
Is French Lake safe to swim in?
- Nutrient and algae readings are not a swimming clearance. Check local advisories before you swim.
What is the water temperature of French Lake?
- French Lake typically sits around 54°F at the surface in October, from 30 EPA Water Quality Portal field readings (2010–2024). That is a typical value for the month, not a live reading.
How deep is French Lake?
- No published bathymetric survey covers French Lake, so its depth has not been measured. The HydroLAKES global model estimates an average depth of about 38 feet, but that is a modelled estimate derived from surrounding terrain rather than a measurement on the water, so treat it as approximate.
Are there boat ramps on French Lake?
- French Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Named access points include French Lake. Public access is listed as yes.
Can I fish at French Lake?
- French Lake has 1 documented boat landing in the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory. Seasons, size and bag limits, and whether you need a license are set by Minnesota's fish and wildlife agency, so check its current regulations before you go.
Explore French Lake across LakeQuality
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Where this data comes from
18 measurements from 1 monitoring station, 2024. Retrieved from the EPA Water Quality Portal on 2026-08-02.
Collected and reported by
- Minnesota Pollution Control Agency - Ambient Surface Water
MNPCA18 samples · 2024
Analytical methods
- Field measurement/observation, generic method
- Phosphorus by Two Reagent Colorimetry
- 4500 N C ~ Persufate Method for Total Nitrogen
Monitoring station identifiers (1)
EPA condition classes from the National Lakes Assessment (EPA 841-R-24-006, Table 6-3), applied by ecoregion. See where the data comes from and data sources.
Other records on this page
Regulated discharger data from EPA ECHO (ICIS-NPDES)
Lake size & watershed from HydroLAKES (HydroSHEDS)
Lake details from Minnesota DNR LakeFinder
Named boat-access points from the USGS National Boat Ramps inventory